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How to Use Layered Template Pieces with the Silhouette Studio

Layered templates are a very versatile product and a good purchase. You can even use parts of your favorite layered template as cutting files in your Silhouette software. Here’s how:

Open your layered template in Photoshop or Elements.
Get the Move tool and select the layer that you want to use as a cutting file.
At the top right corner of the Layers panel, click the down-arrow and choose Duplicate Layer.
This activates the Duplicate Layer dialogue box. Under Destination, choose New and click OK.
Now the selected item will appear in its own document with a transparent background.
If the layer has a style applied such as a drop shadow, double-click the fx icon to bring up the Layer Styles dialogue box. Untick any style applied and click OK.
Press Ctrl U (Mac: Cmd U) to bring up the Hue/Saturation box. Drag the Lightness slider all the way to the left and click OK. This changes the image to black with a transparent background.
You can trim the excess transparent background by getting the Crop tool. Clear the height/width box in the Options bar or choose No Restrictions. Draw out crop lines around the image and tick the checkmark to confirm the crop.

Now choose File > Save As. Choose a location to save the image by navigating the “Save in” box.
Give the image a name and choose PNG from the format drop-down menu. Click “Save.”

This saves the image as a PNG image which can be used in your Silhouette software or other cutting machine software. See How to Load Cutting Files Into the Silhouette Studio [Video] to load and use the resulting PNG.